Edgewater is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago in Illinois, United States, located on the North Side of Chicago. It is north of the Loop. The most recently established of the city's 77 official community areas in 1980, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches for residents to enjoy. Chicago's largest park, Lincoln Park, stretches south from Edgewater for along the waterfront, almost to downtown. Until 1980, Edgewater was part of Uptown, and historically it constituted the northeastern corner of Lake View Township, an independent suburb annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. Today, Uptown is to Edgewater's south, Lincoln Square to its west, West Ridge to its northwest and Rogers Park to its north.
Edgewater transitioned from agriculture and small settlement to residential development around the 1880s with summer homes for Chicago's elite. Today, it provides the northern terminus of both Lincoln Park and Lake Shore Drive. With the exception of pockets acknowledged as historic districts (like the Bryn Mawr Historic District), eastern Edgewater (Edgewater Beach) has a skyline of high-rise apartment buildings, condominium complexes, and mid-rise homes. To the west, Edgewater is characterized by single-family homes; and two-, three-, or four-story flats, including the historic village and now commercial district of Andersonville.
History
Early development Developers began buying up orchards and truck farms and cutting down the dense woods in Lake View Township (of which Edgewater was a part) in the 1880s to make way for future development. From 1870 to 1887 the population of the township, then north of the City of Chicago, grew from 2,000 citizens to 45,000. As a result, there was growing need of more public-service access, and Lake View was annexed to Chicago in 1889 as a way of meeting those demands.
In 1885, the northeastern section of Lake View was given the name Edgewater by prominent developer John Lewis Cochran. He built the first residential subdivision in the area. Many of his homes can still be found in the Lakewood Balmoral Historic District. After a few years, Edgewater was celebrated as a wonder as it became "the only electric lighted suburb adjacent to Chicago".
Etymology of street names Cochran was originally a tobacco salesman from Philadelphia who moved to the area in 1885. Upon arrival, he took his Philadelphia culture and geography with him to the area. This can be seen best by the names of the streets in Edgewater. Every street in Edgewater at the time was named after a train station on the former PRR Main Line, and most still exist to this day. This includes:
Berwyn Avenue (5300 N), located in Berwyn, PA, also became a CTA station. Bryn Mawr Avenue (5600 N), located in Bryn Mawr, PA, also became a CTA station. Ardmore Avenue (5800 N), located in Ardmore, PA. Thorndale Avenue (5900 N), located in Thorndale, PA, also became a CTA station. Rosemont Avenue (6300 N), named after Rosemont, PA Devon Avenue (6400 N), named after Devon, PA Wayne Avenue (1332 W), named after Wayne, PA
Beginning of the 20th century
By the early 1900s, Edgewater was regarded as one of Chicago's most prestigious communities. Mansions dominated the lakefront, while large single-family homes spread inland to the former farming village of Andersonville (then also called Somerdale). A prominent symbol of Edgewater's affluence and desirable location on the lake was the Edgewater Beach Hotel, which opened in 1916 at 5349 N. Sheridan. The famed "sunrise" yellow hotel was razed in 1970, though the remaining "sunset" pink Edgewater Beach Apartments building is still a landmark at the north tip of Lake Shore Drive. The Edgewater building boom peaked in 1926 and property values reached their height in 1928. Around 1900, the burgeoning affluent population grew so much that developers expanded Edgewater and renamed a portion of the neighborhood community Uptown (which still exists today). Uptown quickly became the commercial hub of the area, with storied nightlife, entertainment and tall commercial buildings. Thus, in the late 1920s, when Community Areas were first designated, the Edgewater area was included as a section of Uptown.
Revival Uptown's affluence declined in the 1950s, as Chicago's suburbs were developed and opened, absorbing some of Uptown's families, both middle and upper class. With the flight of some residents came disrepair and crime for what once was one of the most affluent districts of the city. At the same time, with the extension of Lake Shore Drive to Hollywood Ave. in the 1950s, into the 1970s, highrise condominium developments along Edgewater's lakefront took off, and Andersonville was seeking to promote its unique heritage.
In 1980, the Chicago City Council and local business owners orchestrated a revival for the Edgewater community. Edgewater was separated from Uptown and once again called itself its own community. New businesses came into the community, older buildings were refurbished, and homes touched up to harken back to Edgewater's past. Since 2000, there have been several new additions to the neighborhood, including The Clarovista, Edgewater Glen, and Catalpa Gardens condominium developments. This neighborhood of Chicago is also well known for its antique shops, as the Broadway Antique Market and Brownstone Antiques call the Edgewater area their home.
Neighborhoods Edgewater consists of several neighborhoods. In the southwest quadrant is Andersonville. North of it is Magnolia Glen and Edgewater Glen—and Edgewater Beach is located in the eastern part of the neighborhood, the portion of the community that borders the lake, east of the elevated tracks of the Red Line.
Andersonville
Andersonville is a neighborhood in western Edgewater and northwestern Uptown. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, the community is particularly known for its diversity, including a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the Swedish American Museum and other Swedish businesses. From the 1980s through the present time, the neighborhood has been well known as a neighborhood where many lesbians live, although the reality is more akin to the diversity mentioned above. Swedish businesses include the bar Simon's Tavern, a former basement speakeasy, which serves the Swedish wine drink as glögg, and Svea restaurants. At one time there were more Swedes in Chicago than any city outside of Stockholm. Many of Andersonville's Swedes were carpenters, contractors and architects, and played a significant role in building the city.
A number of Middle-Eastern businesses and an influx of families with children contribute to the area's diverse population. Andersonville is also known for its commercial district, made up almost entirely of a variety of independent locally owned specialty shops, restaurants, and service providers.
The Andersonville Commercial Historic District, which runs along Clark Street from Ainslie Street to Rosehill Drive, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2010.Daarel Burnette II. "IBM Building, Andersonville District deemed 'Historic'". Chicago Tribune. 2010-03-29. It joined the nearby residential Lakewood Balmoral Historic District.
The approximate street boundaries of Andersonville, as defined by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, are Lawrence (4800 N) to the south, Victoria (5800 N) to the north, Ravenswood (1800 W) to the west, and Magnolia (1250 W) to the east. The heart of the Andersonville commercial district is Clark and Berwyn (5300 N).
Andersonville's roots as a community extend well back into the 19th century, when immigrant Swedish farmers started moving north into what was then a distant suburb of Chicago. The neighborhood traces its name to a parcel of land in Uptown bounded by Clark Street, Ravenswood Avenue, Foster Avenue, and Winnemac Avenue, which was then surrounded by a large cherry orchard. As families began to move to the area, the neighborhood's first school, the Andersonville School, was built on the parcel in 1854. It served as the area's primary school until 1908.
After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, wooden homes were outlawed in Chicago. Swedish immigrants, who could not afford to build homes of stone or brick, began to move outside of the city's northern limits. Swedish immigrants continued to arrive in Andersonville through the beginning of the 20th century, settling in the newly built homes surrounding Clark St. Before long, the entire commercial strip was dominated by Swedish businesses, from delis to hardware stores, shoe stores to blacksmiths, and bakeries to realty companies. The local churches, such as Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, and First Evangelical Free Church were also built by Swedes, and reflected the religious diversity of the new arrivals.
Like most other European-American ethnic groups, Swedes began to move to the suburbs during the Depression and post-war periods, and the neighborhood began to decline. Concerned about the deteriorating commercial situation, the Uptown Clark Street Business Association renewed its commitment to its Swedish heritage by renaming itself the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce. On October 17, 1964 Andersonville was rededicated in a ceremony attended by Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. At about the same time, the annual Swedish tradition of celebrating the summer solstice blossomed into Midsommarfest, which has since grown into one of Chicago's largest street festivals.
While some of the Swedish-owned businesses gave way to stores and restaurants owned by Koreans, Lebanese, and Cubans, many remained in Andersonville, serving the remaining second- and third-generation Swedes as well as the new arrivals to the neighborhood. In 1976, a Swedish American Museum that had been on the drawing boards for fifty years was opened to the public in a ceremony attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. He was also present when it later moved into larger quarters at 5211 N. Clark, where it remains today.
In the late 1980s, Andersonville began a period of revival as professionals rediscovered its lovely housing stock and proximity to the lakefront. A large lesbian and gay population developed, spurred by the opening of such businesses as Women & Children First, a bookstore focusing on feminist authors and topics.
Edgewater Glen Historic District
Edgewater Glen Historic District is a residential area located within the Edgewater neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, it was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Edgewater Glen Historic District.
The name "Edgewater Glen" originated in 1972 with the incorporation of the Edgewater Glen Association (EGA), a volunteer-led neighborhood organization. The name was derived from Glenwood Avenue and Glenlake Avenue, two streets that intersect near the center of the neighborhood, along with its association with the greater Edgewater community. The Edgewater Glen Association continues to be active, organizing seasonal events, beautification initiatives, and an annual neighborhood-wide yard sale.
The historic district is generally bounded by West Hood Avenue to the north, West Granville Avenue to the south, Broadway to the east, and Clark Street to the west. It comprises over 400 contributing structures, primarily single-family homes constructed between 1900 and 1928. The prevailing architectural style is American Foursquare, with vernacular influences from Queen Anne and Prairie School design. The neighborhood is noted for its uniform lot sizes, mature tree canopy, and consistent building setbacks, contributing to a cohesive streetscape.